TRANSCRIPT
Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong and Defence Minister Richard Marles are taking part in the 14th Australian-UK Ministerial Consultation Meeting in London.
They have met with their UK counterparts, David Lammy and John Healey, to discuss ways to enhance bilateral military cooperation.
Australia has agreed to stand with the UK in the face of the ongoing war in Ukraine.
UK Foreign Minister David Lammy says recent developments - such as the deployment of North Korean troops by Russia - call for further support for Ukraine.
“With DPRK troops in Ukraine, it's clear that the Indo-Pacific and the Euro-Atlantic security are now indivisible. And we are holding this AUKMIN at a time when clearly global growth is stuttering.”
Australia and the UK have committed to extend Operation KUDU into 2025 to provide training to Ukrainian soldiers.
Both nations have left open the possibility of sending peacekeeping troops to Ukraine after the end of the war.
Defence Minister Richard Marles has reaffirmed that both nations are committed in their support for Ukraine.
“We will continue to look at ways in which we can support Ukraine for as long as it takes and we work really closely with the UK, in terms of what that commitment looks like. And obviously we'll work closely with Ukraine itself but the role that has been played by the United Kingdom in support of Ukraine, I think has been inspirational.”
Mr Marles words were echoed by his UK counterpart, David Healy, with both nations making their intentions clear.
“It (the support towards Ukraine) is designed also to a message to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin. That he cannot prevail, he will not prevail and Ukraine will have our support for as long as it needs.”
Australia hopes to send the same message to China, whose influence in the Indo-Pacific region is steadily increasing.
China, one of Russia's closest allies, is continuing to expand its military and political activity, attempting to gain the upper hand over the U-S.
Australia is using the diplomatic route to put a stop to China's advances.
Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong says Australia must protect its own interests in the area.
“We understand China is doing what great powers do. We, from Australia's perspective, and this is in part, why we are here – we want to work with others to uphold our interests. Secondly, China is not going anywhere. It will continue to be a very important part of the global economy and of the strategic landscape of the globe. And we also have to deal with that reality as well in the way that we approach with China but also how we approach our relationship with others.”
In other news to come from the AUKMIN meeting, the Royal Navy is set to take part in Exercise Talisman Sabre from next year.
Exercise Talisman Sabre is Australia's largest military drill, which is normally carried out with the U-S.
David Lammy says the shift in his nation's military attention towards the Indo-Pacific is in no way insignificant.
“The Indo-Pacific will deliver over half of the world's global growth over the next period. We don't characterise, under this government, our focus on the Indo-Pacific as a tilt. We see it as a systemic must for responding to these challenges.”
Underpinning these deepening ties between the two countries is the AUKUS alliance with with the U-S.
Outgoing US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has attempted to downplay questions about whether President-elect Donald Trump would try to renegotiate the deal.
“Australia is directly contributing to the US submarine industrial base. So that we can build out this submarine capability, supply Australia in the nearer term with Virginia-class subs over the longer term with the AUKUS submarines. So the United States is benefiting from burden sharing, exactly the kind thing that Mr Trump has talked a lot about, in which Australia's directly making this contribution.”
In the meantime, Australia and the UK are prepared to move forward with a bilateral treaty to progress the build of S-S-N AUKUS class submarines.
